Our Carpet Corner articles in previous issues focused, as you would expect, on maintaining carpet. With this issue, we would like to focus on different floor types and suggested care:

Terrazzo floors are composed of marble chips mixed in an epoxy base. The chips are usually highly polished and multi-colored. Terrazzo is very durable, but may be damaged by heavy impacts or high levels of wear. Terrazzo is easy to keep clean. A combination of the sealer and finish used with resilient tile will usually protect terrazzo.

Stone surfaces can vary from marble and granite to slate and limestone. Stone can be attractive, durable, and expensive to purchase and repair. Not all stone surfaces are designed to use a finish. Unfinished stone can be difficult to sweep or mop and may, in time, show wear in high traffic areas. The only way to remove wear ruts is to sand them out with heavy-duty, stone-work equipment – something that is best left to a specialty contractor.

Quarry tile, while expensive to install or repair, typically has low maintenance costs because it is durable and often does not need a finish. If quarry tile is designed not to be coated with finish, it can have less slip resistance over time as its glazed surface wears smoother. Brick has similar characteristics as quarry tile, except it has a coarser surface.

Brick can be a problem to clean due to its high absorption capabilities, and it may discolor if something is spilled on it.

Ceramic tile is often used for floors in public areas, walkways and guest rooms. It is durable and can be installed in attractive colors and patterns. Some ceramic tile floors may not be designed for coating with flooring finishes. In restroom areas for example, floor finishes can result in the discoloration of the grout between the tiles and can eventuate in odor problems from uric acid reactions with the floor finish.

MasterCorp is in the process of introducing a hardsurface, floor care program using state of the art equipment. Watch for details soon!